Norse Woodsmith Blog Feeds

One of the last two (miniature chest) projects is 99% done, just waiting on pigment to arrive.  The bookcase needs the doors hung, knobs installed, and some touch up shellac work to be 100%. I don't have a warm and fuzzy that I'll get either one completed before the ball falls.

 

it is twisted

I went to the shop after dinner and immediately checked the lid for twist. Sad to say but there was a lot of twist in it. I couldn't check the top face because of the stop but the underside told the story.

I was so concerned and focused on the lid being flat and straight, that it didn't occur to me to check it for twist first. Ignoring this detail has bit me on the arse before. 

it is up over an 1/8"

I couldn't see this twist eyeballing down the edges. Laid flat it jumps right out and slaps you.

shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn't

This is the second time I glued back on a chip on the feet. After this had set up I rasped a chamfer on all four. I should have done this right after I glued and nailed it together.

new lid

Sawed off a new lid and planed a twist free reference face.

other face was twisted

I was gentle untwisting this face. My goal was to maintain as much of the thickness as I could.

done

 I didn't make the two faces parallel. My thoughts on it were this - the reference face will be down on the top of the chest. The opposite face just has to look flat and straight, which it does.

hmm......

The opposite face to the reference one - there is a teeny bit of twist but IMO it can be ignored. I left the lid stickered on top of the chest overnight.

AM work

I had an appointment at the hospital this AM. Had a pulmonary function test but I won't know the results until after my MRI on the 9th.  Back from the hospital I played with the new lid. Used the same 1/2 pattern I used the first lid and routed a 45 degree chamfer on the front and sides.

happy face

Got the lid on the chest and no rocking. I had checked the lid for twist before I started playing with it and there was still none.

rasped the feet

The shinto rasp is quicker but I don't like the surface it leaves. I prefer to use this rasp. It is a little trickier to use and you have to rasp in the direction of the grain. The surface is smoother and I find it easier to get a consistent chamfer on each foot.

back stop

New back stop. I did consider sawing off the one on the original lid but nixed it. I had too many scraps to pick from for a new one.

got lucky

I was surprised after checking the two shelves that both were twist free. All I had done to the two of them was to plane away some cupping.

hmm.....

The top had a small bit of twist to it caused my me wandering out into left field fitting the first lid. Corrected that and checked the diagonal corners with a straight edge. I don't know what this proves/checks but I had the straight edge on the bench and did it.

checking the width of the shelves

The front edge of this stop is what the inside faces of the doors will close against. 

hmm.....

 One shelf was short of this by a 16th and the other one was a 16th over.

need to be wider

 I planed the wider shelf a 16th. I had to make the notches for the shelf pins wider. As is there was gap between the back edge of the shelf and the carcass back. I thought of filling the notches in (still might do that) but for now I just made them wider.

it is flush

This was a good feeling. With the shelf width thinned, the left door is flush with the edge of the carcass.

hmm.....

I don't like the amount of movement in the shelves in/out. On the flip side the shelves are the right width and the doors close up flush.Maybe I could a partially fill in the notch to eliminate the excessive in/out movement?

slight gap

I wasn't expecting to see this. The gap on both shelves is about the same too.

sigh

Got clamp rosebuds on the top and bottom. They weren't deep and after eyeballing them, I am convinced that they were caused by the clamp pads. I don't see clamp rosebuds when I use the quick grips.

hinging the lid

I put a few dabs of super glue on the hinge. Positioned the lid and clamped the hinges for a few minutes.

not moving

I have tried this super glue trick without clamping but I didn't have much success. The hinges would pop off with the slightest amount of stress. With the clamps putting pressure on the hinge for a few minutes, no problems. I put two screws in each hinge leaf on the lid. I still have to take the lid off when I finally get around to painting it.

partial ooh and aah

The miniature chest is 99.99% done. It is sanded, all defects filled with wood putty, it just needs paint. The latest update from Amazon says it will come 3 Jan. The other two pigments are still scheduled to arrive on the 5th. Ordered all 3 from the same supplier, why the different delivery dates?

accidental woodworker 

 I came close to finishing this up today but it ain't so boys and girls. I got the glass and the glazing bars installed on the last door and then I ran into bit of a hiccup. I will have to address that show stopper before I can ooh and aah. So maybe tomorrow or tuesday for dancing in the streets of Mudville?

happy face on

This glazing bar had a big gap yesterday that I clamped shut with a couple of ghost sticks. The right side looks like there is a gap but there isn't. Happy with the fit and look of door #1.

hmm......

Me thinks I made a me-steak. I should have applied shellac to the muntins before I installed the glass and glazing bars.

the show stopper

Put the finished door in place and it doesn't fit. The top shelf is definitely too wide. The door is a 1/8" proud laid up against it. The bottom is flush but that could be because it toed in. I might have to make one or two new shelves. Sigh.

oh what a relief

The chest is still square. When I took the diagonal clamp off, the chest didn't groan or move. 

flushing the ends

When I nailed the sides on I left them a couple of frog hairs proud of the end. That way today I could plane them flush.

didn't allow for this

When I adjusted the bandsaw I did it so the front/back were flush in the notch. I planed the rough bandsawn surface smooth and got this. But this is to my advantage. Easier to flush this then deal with the front/back being proud.

sigh

I didn't predrill for the nails and paid the price. I didn't think I needed to do for this because I was nailing into sides. Went back to square one and started again with predrilled bearers.

ouch

The bearers are 3/4" thick and the ends are 3/4" thick. I used 1 1/4" finish nails but all three still stuck out to shake hands with me. Glad that I'm using milk paint on this chest.

bearers done

I clipped off about a 1/8" from each nail and none poked out.

flushed

Filed all the poking nails with a file. One of the clipped ones  poked out a few frog hairs that I filed flush too.

hmm.....

I flushed the top of this bearer with the top of the end ones. A tapered portion over hung on the bottom. Flushed what I could with the violin plane 

2" chisel

What I couldn't get with the violin plane, I got with the chisel. I could have used the chisel to do all of the flushing.

dutchman

I meant to put this facing the inside but it became a moot point when I saw I had another chip/blowout on the opposite face. I enlarged it a wee bit and glued in a dutchman. No need to match grain/color because I'm painting this.

*%&*&_)()(*_+^%@)_$+(

I love my new glue bottle but this red cap I am beginning to hate with a passion. I can't seem to keep it close when I take it off the bottle. I am forever losing it or it walks away on me. It took me 15 minutes to find it this time when I searched for it.

jig time

Made a quick jig to hold the glazing bars while I chopped notches for the glazier points.

2nd door done

Two of the long glazing bars were bowed, one on each side. In the end I got all the bars gap free and down to the glass.

sawing the dutchman

I put a thin piece of wood on the chest to guide the saw so I wouldn't dig into the chest. The portion left proud I flushed with a plane.

done

Again it didn't need to be perfect. The few gaps I will fill in with wood putty.

wee bit of twist

It was rocking pretty good. The sticks showed two lines out of whack which is a healthy amount of twist.

you can knock because it ain't rocking

It took a while but it is laying flat on the tablesaw. No rocking when pushed on any of the corners. However, the chest will not lay flat on the workbench. That is why I use the tablesaw as my reference flat surface.

bottom done

The bottom of the chest was slightly  out of square - the top wasn't. To hide the ugly looking gaps I used the last of my quarter round moldings to keep it down on the bearers. Haven't decided on how to secure them yet. Glue and pin nails or just the nails?

hmm.....

Too much overhang on the front. I am overhanging the ends a 1/2" and I want the front to be the same. The trick there is the front will be curved.

no twist

The lid was rocking and I could see that it wasn't laying flat neither. At first I thought it was the top of the chest but it is dead nuts twist free.

too short

This beam compass is almost 3 feet long but it wasn't enough. I want a shallow curve on the lid and it wasn't happening this way.

first time

I had this flexible layout doo dad for several years. This it the time I can remember using it. Making a half pattern for the front of the lid.

ripping it to final width

The front over hung the front of the chest too much IMO. Nailed a straight edge over hanging the curve so I could run it against the fence to get a parallel cut on the back edge.

hump

The lid still wasn't laying flat on the chest. Just realized as I was looking at this pic that I didn't check the board for twist. I planed the hump and it did improve the rocking some but didn't eliminate it.

hinges mortised

I don't like how these no mortise hinges lay without a mortise. Without a shallow mortise the back end is pushed up about a 1/8".  I don't like the tapered look of the lid. 

like this router a lot

It is only a 1/4" but it is cordless. The balance is good and visibility for seeing the router bit is decent. Used it to rout a 45 chamfer on the sides and front of the lid. I am putting a back stop on this chest too.

glued and cooking

I cut the height down twice on the back stop before I glued it on. I did a 1" round over on the ends and left the rest of the stop square.

hmm......

The mortises weren't flat side to side. I chiseled them even and that made the mortise a wee bit too deep. I try to have the hinges flush or a frog hair proud. With them below the top of the mortise, they become hinge bound.

got lucky

This thin sliver of wood is an off cut from ripping the lid to its final width. With this piece of veneer, the hinges were less than a frog hair proud. Once screws go in it should pull the hing down so it ends up flush.

 Had a good day in the shop and I got a lot accomplished. I have two projects that are both an inch from finish line. The bookcase wasn't the last project of 2025 and the miniature chest might not claim that honor neither. There are 3 days left in Dec 2025 and I might get to start the first project of 2026.

accidental woodworker 

done

I put two more coats on the insides of both doors. Called it done. After eyeballing the doors I noticed that the muntins need another coat or two of shellac. I will deal with that after I get the door hung. 

2nd snowfall of 2025

Got 3 inches of white fluffy snow. Before I got to the shop I shoveled the driveway and the front walk.

3 times wasn't the charm

Before I did this I had to fiddle with the bandsaw. The blade wouldn't track for some reason. Fixed that headache and adjusted the fence for the crosscut on the miniature 6 board chest.

side cutouts

Small cutout for the bottom of the sides. 

doubled them up

Rasped the cutout to the penciled lines and smoothed with 100 grit sandpaper.

glued and nailed

Attached the sides to the front/back with cut nails. I predrilled a 1/8" pilot hole for the nails and no splits. First time I have used cut nails without getting at least one split. I went 20 for 20.

needed some help

I squared this up on the inside diagonals. They were 5/16" off. I will leave the clamp on until tomorrow.

it is glass time

Dry fitted all the glazing bars again. I had to play with a couple of them because I didn't label them.

sigh

I chopped a notch for the glazier points. This one split when chopping it. Initially I glued it with yellow glue and moved on. By the time I had finished all the notches I shit canned this split one and made a new one.

2 down, 2 to go

I did the two small ones to check how the gluing would go. I used hide glue and along with the snug fit of the glazing bars, all is well in Disneyland. I don't anticipate any hiccups with the rest of them.

done

I was bit surprised by how heavy the door was with the glass installed. I put in a couple of ghost sticks because the right long glazing bar wasn't tight and gap free along its length.

glazier points

Setting the points was a bit tricky. I only used 4 per pane of glass. I managed to get them all inserted without cracking/chipping the glass or splitting any of the rabbets.

lid and hinges

I thought I would get this done today but it didn't happen boys and girls. Doing the glass took more time than I thought. I had checked the plans in the book and the bottom is nailed in. No grooves or dadoes. There is also a nailed on molding on the four lid edges. I don't think I'll be copying that detail.

hmm......

This I don't understand. I had dry fitted these a couple of days ago and I had no gaps. All the miters fitted up snug then. Made a new one and got a snug dry fit. I also had to shorten 3 glazing bars. Don't understand how 3 grew and one shrunk.

 I got the glass and glazier points installed in the 2nd door before I killed the lights. I thought I would get both doors done today but I'll have to wait until tomorrow. 

accidental woodworker 

I grew up with Swiss Army knives at home. My father and grandfathers were all in the Swiss Army, so the knives were ubiquitous at home. But not the red plasticky type ones, the real Swiss Army knives with the handles made of aluminum and four basic tools. There were two of them, and they always came with us, be it for camping or walking. I think in all those years they were never once sharpened. The fancier knives, with a myriad of tools attached were never really a thing. Sure a corkscrew was nice for picnics, but it wasn’t really practical for anything else.

The soldiers version of the Swiss Army knife likely had its origins in the tools used to maintain and disassemble the Swiss Army’s Vetterli rifles, in use from 1869 to 1889. In 1889 they introduced a new rifle, the Schmidt–Rubin (M1889), which also required a screwdriver to disassemble for cleaning. So the Swiss Army decided to purchase a folding pocket knife for its soldiers as part of standard issue. At the same time, canned food was becoming a common ration, hence the need for a can-opener.

(Soldiers’ pocket knife) The Federal Council’s decision regarding the introduction of the pocket knife (also a screwdriver for the 1891 rifle model and a can opener) for our militias is as follows: 1. Adoption of the model with four blades. 2 Free distribution to recruits as an item of equipment. This knife, like cartridge pouches, waist belts and other items, is procured by the federal government itself and distributed to the cantons for the recruits or to be distributed in kind to those enlisted. 3. The option for the enlisted men to keep the old screwdriver when exchanging their rifle or to receive the soldier’s knife for 1 franc in exchange for it. 4. Note of the knife distribution in the service booklet, proof of possession of the same at every official inspection, payment of the full price if a second distribution is made. 5. Equal treatment of special weapons with the infantry. 6. Delivery to the officers on their request also at the price of 1 Fr.

A notice announcing the soldiers pocket knives from Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitung, Nr.6, Basel, Feb.7, 1891.

The resulting knife was designated the Model 1890, and had a blade, reamer, can-opener, screwdriver, and a handle made of dark oak wood. The initial order was for 15,000 knives, which was beyond the production capacity of any Swiss company, and so they were manufactured by the German company Wester & Co. from Solingen.

The company which would later become Victorinox started life in 1884 by Karl Elsener (1860-1918) in the town of Ibach in the Swiss canton of Schwyz. In 1884 Elsener he opened KARL ELSENER Messerfabrikant to manufacture knives and surgical instruments. Elsener began production of the Model 1890 in 1891.

Elsener was not really satisfied with the design of the knife. In 1896, Elsener created a design in which tools were attached on both sides of the handle using a spring mechanism which allowed multiple tools to be attached using the same spring. The original soldiers knife was rather heavy and so Elsener designed his first folding knife, an officers model, patented on 12 June 18971 as “The Officer’s and Sports Knife”, and featured a second smaller cutting blade, corkscrew, and wood fibre grips (although this was never part of any Army contract, and the patent number seems to be missing).

I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland to see what the army does with those wee red knives.

Billy Connolly

In 1893, the Swiss cutlery company Paul Boéchat & Cie (which would later became Wenger), received its first contract from the Swiss military to produce Model 1890 knives. It was situated in Courtételle in the Delémont valley in the Canton of Jura. In 1908 the Swiss Government agreed to buy half its knives from Victorinox, and the the other half from Wenger. While Victorinox laid claim to being the “Original Swiss Army Knife”, Wenger touted itself as the “Genuine Swiss Army Knife”. Interestingly, research shows that there were other manufacturers, for example some of the 1901 versions of the knife were made by Anton Stadler from Zug.

In 1909, Elsener provided all pocket knives with the emblem that is still used today (a shield with cross). In the same year his mother Victoria died. He named the factory after her and soon added “inox” (French for inoxydable, rust-free), to the name Victoria, and “Victorinox” was born. Prior to this, knives were marked ELSENER.

Model	Years	Length, Width, weight	Notes
1890	1890-1901	100mm, 20.5mm, 144g	A steel blade, and wooden knife handles (made of blackened oak or ebony).
1901	1901-1908	100mm, 20.5mm, 144g	A steel blade and wood fibre handle. Similar to 1890 model except for handle material. Both Swiss and German manufacturers.
1908	1908-1951	100mm, 16.5mm, 125g	A number of Swiss and German manufacturers. All have steel blades and wood fibre handles. Three different variants; differing by the type of divider used between the springs (nickel-plated steel, steel).
1951	1951-1964	93mm, 13.5mm, 90g	Three different variants made by Victorinox, Wenger, and Röthlisberger. Variants had stainless steel blades and handles made of synthetic fibres, one Wenger variant being made of ‘Grilon’ (a thermoplastic).
1961	1964-2008	93mm, 12mm, 72g	A great number of variants made exclusively by Victorinox, and Wenger. Handle was made of anodized aluminum, typically silver in colour, but one variant was red. A new can opener is added with a small screwdriver (flat).
2008	2008-	111mm, 18mm, 126g	A complete redesign, enlarging the knife and adding tools. Manufactured solely by Victorinox. Contains the four tools of the 1961 model, plus a Philips screwdriver and a wood saw. The blade has been widened and is now partially serrated.

Table 1: The various models of the Swiss Army Soldiers knife

How was the knife branded as the ubiquitous “Swiss Army Knife”? Early on the soldiers knife was primarily a tool used by soldiers, and “Swiss Army Knife” was a term coined by American soldiers post-WW2 who had difficulty pronouncing the German name “Schweizer Offiziersmesser”, or the Swiss-German term for a pocket-knife, “Sackmesser” (German Taschenmesser).

In recent years the Soldier’s Standard Issue knife has been updated, for only the fourth time in 120 years. The metal handle was replaced by a dual density handle, and more implements were added. The standard blade has been replaced by a one-hand serrated locking blade, and a Phillips Screwdriver and wood saw have been added. Wenger was acquired by Victorinox in 2005, and the company makes an incredible range of different knives. My favourite Swiss army knives are those with the least amount of tools.

1 Searches on both the German patent database, and the Swiss Historical Patents database do not show any patents related to Elsener’s officers knife. There is however a 1894 patent for a “Device for cutting cheese into measured portions“.

Further reading

• Swiss Army Knife Identification
• SAKWiki – Swiss Army Knife Encyclopedia
• Les couteaux du soldat de l’armée suisse – a compendium of Swiss Army soldiers knife variants

“When not convenient to obtain ready-sawed lumber from the dealer, the carpenter can play sawyer, and with a saw two feet in length and often over one foot wide, he can easily rip an old water-soaked cedar log into boards and strips. Where Western men working in lumber think it necessary to season it as soon as possible, in Japan splendid cedar logs are kept anchored in large rafts along the rivers or in ponds for years. Thus the wood retains its natural colour and beauty – this none will doubt when examining the lovely interior woodwork of the high-class dwellings, planed to a fault, but never painted and rarely oiled.”

By Nippon’s Lotus Ponds; Pen Pictures of Real Japan, Matthias Klein pp.195-196 (1914)

We have two kayaks, which are stored outside on a large privacy wall in my backyard. When we first bought them, I bought two sets of standard kayak racks – and they worked, for a while anyway. Because most of these racks are made of painted steel, there is a point where they start to rust, and fall apart. The last thing I wanted to do was buy another set of mediocre racks. The problem is that there aren’t really any good kayak racks that are made for outside locations. Powder-coated steel, has a short lifespan, usually about 3-4 years in a cold climate, and wooden racks have to be maintained.

I investigated at a number of solutions – construct the racks out of 2×2″ Ipe, or 1.5″ copper pipes – all of which had limitations of one form or another. I found a nice stainless steel set of kayak racks from a company in the U.S., but 2 sets would have cost me C$600 with shipping and taxes.

The solution I chose was to construct the kayak racks out of 1″ metal electrical conduit, using connectors from Maker Pipe. Using this approach I could easily construct racks that mimicked the shape of the existing racks. For each end of the set, I ordered one Top Rail T Connector, two Adjustable Angle Flanges, and a Conduit End-plug. I liked these connectors, because essentially the only tool needed to connect them is a 5mm hex wrench. The electrical conduit is easily obtainable from any DIY centre (and for some reason, I already had more than enough 1″ conduit lying around).

Two pieces of 1″ conduit are required for each end of the rack. The diagonal is 23.5″ long, while the brace is 7″ long. The two adjustable angles flanges attach the brace and diagonal to the wall. The Top Rail T Connector connects the brace to the diagonal. Note that all connectors have a holes on the side which could be used for a split pin, or a self-tapping screw.

When installed, I used some neoprene pipe insulation as a temporary cushion on the diagonal and brace, until I can find some more appropriate neoprene material.

The great thing about these DIY racks is that you can really modify them to fit your particular needs. Perhaps using an Adjustable Angle Hinge Connector to join the diagonal and brace to provide different angles. The connectors are made of steel, and have a corrosion resistant coating, and like metallic electrical conduit, I imagine they will last for years. In the future I may put the lower rack onto hinged back-plates to allow them to be folded out of the way (the wall is along a walkway).